Apparatus for sorting pulverulent materials



A. FRANCE APPARATUS FOR SORTING PULVERULENT MATERIALS Fild Sept. 1, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Alma l2 Filed Sept. 1 1921 2 swam-5mm 2 Patented Aug. 12, 1924. e UNITED STATES I 1,504,439 PATENT OFFICE.

ANTOINE FRANCE, OF LIEGE, BELGIUM.

- APPARATUS FOR SOBTING PULVERULENT MATERIALS.

Application filed September 1, 1921. Serial No. 497,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTOINE FRANCE, a subject of the King of the Belgians, residing at Liege, Belgium, 14 Place St. Paul,

have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Sorting Pulverulent Materials (for which I have an application in Belgium, Oct. 14, 1913, No. 261,263), of which the following is a specification.

In numerous-industries, it is necessary or useful to remove the dust from more or less pulverulent materials or products, in order to allow or make easier their sorting, treatment, or transformation.

Thus, the presence of dust in coal, the treatment of which will here be adopted as an instance for the description of the present process, is particularly troublesome in the mechanical preparation and mostly in 20 the washing of the said coal.

It is frequent that fine coal contains from to of non-washable dust which makes the water dirty, renders the sorting of the larger-sized particles troublesome, and requires the installation of large settling tanks wherein they settle and form coal-mud (schlamms) of very small market value. The separation of such dust in the dry state is therefore almost generally required when itis desired to obtain a maximum efliciency of the washing operation, by mixing the washed products with the whole or a part of the sorted pulverulent materials in the raw state.

'Heretofore, this separation or sorting was carried out in the dry state or in the wet state, in cumbersome apparatus of small output and low eflicie'ncy.

=- The apparatus forming the subject-matter of the present invention makes it possible to avoid these drawbacks. It possesses the advantage of being adjustable and is sufliciently adaptable to allow its use under the most varied conditions of installation and working. v 7

An embodiment of the resent invention is, by way of example on y, illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and-2 are a longitudinal and a trans- Verse verticalxsection' respectively through a single element apparatus.

Figs. 3 and 4 are a longitudinal and a transverse vertical section respectively through a multiple element apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through several elements arranged in juxtaposition.

Figs. 6 and 7 are two different vertical sections through an element provided with a conduit of determined shape and of which the lower opening can be adjusted by means of devices forming an extension of the inner wall of the said conduit. These devices preferably consist -of interchangeable conical nozzles of which the largest base is of the same inner diameter as that of the lower opening of the conduit referred to while their narrowest base is of decreasing diameter, thus affording a variable reduction of the effective size of the said opening.

The single element comprises (Figs. 1 and 2) a hopper A for the storage of the material to be treated having at the base a suitable rotary valve B regulating the feeding of the material to the chamber C. This dustextraction chamber C in which circulates in an upward direction a current of air or gas under pressure, is of such a shape that the velocity of this air or gas varies as soon as it enters the chamber.

A special flue D is provided under the chamber C. This flue comprises two compartments of which one serves for the admission of air or gas under pressure in the chamber C, and the other serves to the formation of a regular or steady current, adjustable by means of the cock R.

A chimney E serves for the evacuation of the air and of the dust and is provided on top with any suitable adjusting device F to allow the adjustment of the pressure within the apparatus.

- The dust-free material passes through a lower conduit T sealed-hydraulically, a cock R, controlling the admission of the liquid required for the purpose.

The lower opening may be adjusted by means of a device 0 forming an extensionof the inner wall of the conduit T.

The multiple element apparatus (Figs. 3 I

and 4), based on the same principle as the single elementapparatus, comprises one or more hoppers A, one or more suitable distributing devices B, a single dust-extraction chamber C, a single chimney E withdevice for the adjustment of the inner pressure, a single conduit T with adjusting device 0 at the base, as described above for the sin 1e,

Between the chamber C and t e element. conduit T is arranged a special flue D d1- vided into several compartments, of which some are intended for the admission of air or gas under pressure and the others serve rows.

to the formation of steady or regular adjustable currents, as indicated by the arments D.

- through the chimneys'E to be Particles which are of a coarser or finer (1 grade or size according the sorting current and the degree of opento the intensity of ing of the devices F, leave t e apparatus collected by means of suitable devices in hoppers or the like. v

The larger sized particles drop into the flues D wherein they come into contact when they reach the lines mn,, m n.,

with the liquid in. the passages or conduit T. v

This liquid is introduced into the conduit T by means of the pipes 25, t, in variable quantities adjusted by means of the cocks R It rises in the conduit T until it reaches levels m-n, m'n', which depend: 4

' 1 upon its pressure.

2 upon the pressure of'the air or of the gas within the apparatus.

3 "upon the degree of opening of the lower openings, adjustable by means ofdevices O, O, which form an ex nsion of the inner Walls of the conduits'T, T, Without break of continuity.

This lastfeature and the shape of the conduit T produce in the liquid a gyratory motion and at its surface the formation of a meniscus which :enable the fine particles of useful material to become 'wet quite readily (Figs. .6 and 7).

I claim:

I. In apparatus for sorting or classifying pulverulent material such as coal dust, the combination of a closed dust extraction chamber having two downwardly converging sloping sides; a vertical flue depending from said chamber, terminating at the base into a narrower discharge conduit; a partition arranged within said flue to form two vertical conduits communicating at their lower end and of which the first has its upper end closed and the secondhas its upper end opening out into the base of the dust-extraction chamber; a transverse partitionin said chamber forming a storage: hopper for the material mg a delivery opening. close to the lower -said.delivery opening,

to be treated havedge -of one of the sloping sides of such chamber; mechanically operated means, arranged in said delivery opening, for continuousl feeding the material from said storageopper onto the lower portion of the last-named sloping side and projecting same across the upper end of the second of the aforesaid vertical conduits; adjustably controllable means for the introduction of gaseous fluid under portion of the first ofv said conduits; adjustabl controllable means for supplyin liquid un er pressure to the base of the a oresaid discharge conduit; interchangeable means for adjusting the size of the discharge opening at the lower end of said discharge conuit; an extraction chimney communicating with and leading upwardly from the dust-extraction chamber; and means for adjusting the effective cross-sectional area of the'said chimney: all substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for sorting or classifyingpulverulent material such as coal-dust, the combination of a closed dust-extraction chamber having two downwardly, converging sloping sides; a vertical flue depending from said chamber; baifling means arranged within and extending down a portion of said flue, forming on one side a vertical compartpressure into the upper ment extending downwardly and on the other side a vertical passage extending upwardly and opening out into the base of the dust-extraction chamber; a transverse partition in said chamber forming a storage hopper for the material to be treated having a delivery opening close to the lower edge of one of the sloping sides of such chamber; mechanically operated means, arranged in v for continuously feeding the material from said storage-hopper onto the lower portion of the last-named sloping side and projecting same across the upperend of the aforesaid vertical passage; adjustably controllable means for supplying gaseous fluid under pressure into the upper portion of the aforesaid vertical compartment of the flue; a vertical discharge conduit extending downwardly from the base of said flue; adjustably controllable means or supplying liquid under pressure to the base of said discharge conduit; interchangeable means for adjusting the size of the discharge opening at the lower end of the said discharge conduit; an extraction chimney l communicating with and leading upwardly from the dust-extraction chamber; and means for adjusting the effective cro$-s'ectional area of the said chimney; all substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for sorting or classifying pulverulent material such as coal-dust, the combination of a closed dust-extraction chamber having twodownwardly converging sloping sides; a vertical flue depending from said chamber; bafliing means arranged within and extending down a portion of said flue, dividing the latter into a series of vertical compartments extending downwardly towards the base of such flue and a series of vertical passages, alternating with said compartments, extending upwardly and opening out into the base of the dust-extraction chamber; transverse partitions in said chamber forming a storage-hopper for the material to be treated adjacent each of the sloping sides of such chamber, said hoppers having a delivery opening close to the lower edge 'of one of the sloping sides of such chamber; a mechanically operated feeding device arranged invthe said delivery opening and adapted to feed material from sai storage-hopper onto the lower portion of the last-named sloping side and to project same across the upper end of the aforesaid vertical 'passage;"a supply pipe for gaseous fluid under pressure delivering into the upper portion of the aforesaid vertical compartment of the flue; means on the said .pipe for adjusting the supply of'gaseous fluid therethrough; a vertical discharge conduit extending downwardly from the base ofthe aforesaid .flue; a supply pipe for liquid under pressure delivering into the base of the said discharge conduit; means in the last-named pipe for adjusting the supply of liquid therethrough; means for altermg theslze of the discharge opening at the lower end. offthe aforesaid discharge conduit; said means consisting of a series of interchangeable conical nozzles'having their largest base of a diameter equal to that of the said lower endofthe discharge conduit and their narrowest base of decreasing diameters; an extraction-chimney communicatingwith and extending upwardly from the dust extraction chamber; and means for adjusting the effective crom-sectional area of the said chimney.

. 4. In apparatus for sorting or classifying pulverulent material such as coal-dust.

the combination of a closed dust-extraction 3 chamber having two downwardly converg ing sloping sides; a vertical flue dependin from-said chamber; bafiing means arrang within and extendingdown a portion of said vertical passages, alternating with said compartments, extending upwardly and opening out into the base of the dust extraction chamber; transverse partitions in said chamber forming a storage-hopper for the material to be treated ad acent each of the sloping sides of such chamber, said hoppers having a delivery opening close to the lower edge of said sides; mechanically operated means, arranged in each of said delivery openings, for continuously feeding the material from said storage-hoppers onto the lower portion of the aforesaid converg-t ing sloping sides and projecting same acro$ the upper end of the aforesaid vertical passagesj adjustably controllable means for supplying gaseous fluid under pressure into the upper portion of each of the aforesaid vertical compartments of the flue; 'a vertical discharge conduit extending" downwardly from the base of said 'flue; adjustably controllable means for supplyingliquid under pressure to the base of said dischar uit; interchangeable means for-ad usting the size of the discharge opening at thelower end of the said discharge conduit; an

extraction chimney communicating with and.

leading upwardly from the dust-extraction chamber; and means for adjusting the effective cross-sectional area of the said chimney; substantially asdescribed. v

In testimony thereof I signed hereunto my name in the presence of two subscribingwltnesses. 4

ANTOINE FRANCE. Witn: Josnrn BUSTIN,

CURTIS T. Evnnnrr.

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